PALLET RAMBERT

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25551, 20 July 1948, Page 3

PALLET RAMBERT

OPENING of season jy CHRISTCHURCH

lx?ng and eagerly awaited, the Bal--4 ut Rambert, which has come to New Maland under the auspices of the Britich Council, opened its season in Christchurch at the St James Theatre i 3 ct evening. A large and most enthusiastic audience gave the warmest S welcomes to a programme which “nid from the classic-romanticism nf ‘Bes Sylphides” to the robust fanSsv of “Peter and the Wolf.” It was a new and exciting experience to see 7_ r the first time ballets distinctively English in style, and the youthful enthusiasm. freshness, and high spirits I £ ith which they were performed showed how the Ballet Rambert has reached its high place in the world o f ballet. . . Chopins music and Fokme’s beautiful groupings of the corps de ballet have made “Les Sylphides” a fullblown flower of romanticism, and the mood of romantic enchantment was in last evening’s performance which had both sensitivity and precision. Distinctive, but in perfect Vey with the ballet, was Belinda Wright’s gay mazurka. From the period charms of “Les Sylphides” the scene changed for the lively, amusing, and entirely modern ballet, “Simple Symphony.” The rollicking rhythm of Benjamin Britten’s ingenious score was matched by the w it and light-heartedness of Walter qotc’s choreography. This ballet had a crisp and sparkling air, and the moods and pleasures of fisherfolk were interpreted by the dancers with wholehearted enjoyment. It was English ballet at its best, and made more enjoyable by the brightness of the settings, which were both nautical and wholly European in flavour. Andree Howard’s tense and deeply moving tragedy. “The Fugitive,” provided a sombre note in the programme. In spite of the harsh rhythms of Leonard Salzedo’s music, there was a haunting quality about this ballet. I which was largely in mime. In this story of two sisters who shelter a fugitive, and then become rivals for his love, there was dramatic force and subtlety of gesture in emotional representation. Belinda Wright danced the role of the younger sister with an exquisite childlike tenderness and sympathy, while Brenda Hamlyn, as the elder sister who betrays her. brought passion and feeling to the role. Walter Gore expressed the condition of the fugitive with fine understanding, and the starkness of the tragedy was emphasised by the stylised movements of the guests at the Eisters’ home. Frank Staff’s droll ballet, “Peter ana the Wolf,” to Prokofiev’s music, ended the programme. Everything in this ballet was a delight—the superblyread narrative by Walter Gore, which points the fun, the richly comic costume and postures of Huntsman and Hunters, and the tree represented by step-ladders and long-handled mops. “Peter and the Wolf” is a fable seen through the eyes of children, and even the settings looked as if a child had had a hand in the painting of them. Everyone romped through this ballet with apparent happiness. Annette Chappell was a pert and dainty bird, the saucy Duck, which flirted its tail so cheekily, was played by Sara Luzita. and Paula Hinton was an amusing shock-headed Peter. Pamela Vincent’s Cat, a trifle concerned about her tail, was obviously Persian, because of her harem trousers. Basil Truro mocked the fierceness of the Wolf in his movements, and Charles Boyd as the Huntsman, added to the fun .vith his baggy, yellow breeches, and exaggerated steps. “Peter and the Wolf” brought prolonged applause, and after several curtains, the audience continued clapping until Madame Rambert, founder and director of the Ballet Rambert, and one of the most noted figures in ballet today, finally appeared. In a happy , speech she charmingly thanked the audience, and left the stage to renewed applause. A full orchestra, cbnducted by H. Foster Clark, added to the enjoyment of file programme. Its playing made it almost a part of the ballet rather than an accompaniment.